ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: coach · bay · cue · stock · scale · swing · kick · cell

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. swing — to play on
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. swing — music
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. swing — in golf
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. stock — goods
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. kick — in football
  23. cue — a signal
  24. stock — shares

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com